Most expensive tournament ever keeps plundering fan cash – charging disabled and frail England supporters £3,000 to PARK at match
England fans will face a £3,000 fee to park their cars for the match against Norway, even if they are disabled.
Meanwhile, in the most expensive World Cup in history, last-minute tickets for the match were priced at least $1,900 (£1,400), with other seats going up to $4,800 (£3,500).
Three Lions and Norway fans were setting up their stalls in Miami’s beach bars ahead of the quarter-final clash, with ‘The Vikings’ rowing celebrating and England fans singing ‘Football’s Coming Home’ in response.
Norway’s win over Brazil in the last round surprised many, and hundreds of Brazilians who live in Miami and purchased tickets are trying to unload their tickets. However, resale prices on FIFA’s website are still surprisingly high.
Phil Giles, 28, from Chelmsford, Essex, said in the bar at Havana Beach: ‘We’re in Miami, the weather is lovely and we’re hoping prices will drop at the last minute, but if they don’t we’ll be watching from here.
Magnus Peterson, 34, from Oslo, said: ‘We bought tickets for $350 (£260) months ago. ‘A lot of fans didn’t expect to go this far, so I’m not sure how many of us will be there.’
Parking spaces were offered at exorbitant prices yesterday at the Miami Stadium, which is located 27 kilometers north of Miami city center and where public transportation options are limited.
Official parking partner SeatGeek charges $4,277.12 (£3,194) to park in the Black North Car Park at 347 Don Shula Drive, Miami Gardens.
Some fans were already in Miami before the last 16 match against Mexico.
This is specifically reserved for wheelchair users and those with mobility issues due to its proximity to the stadium.
But prices have risen greatly to encourage fans to reserve a parking space close to the stadium to watch Harry Kane’s side battle for semi-final glory. Normally Black North Car Park spaces are a tenth of the price of other events.
Other sellers are also cashing in on markups aimed at loyal fans who have already paid thousands of dollars for travel, game tickets, lodging and food and drink.
Just Park has spots on sale for $1,200.01 (£896.13), but the same spots are around $78 (£58) for other events.
An incredible ticket deal for Saturday’s match attendees is a $40 (£29) parking spot, which seems like a bargain given the name ‘Miami Stadium – Lot 95 Golden Glades – FIFA Park and Ride’.
But its location is actually 6.1 miles from the stadium and will involve either a park-and-ride bus or a two-hour walk under highways and alongside dual carriageways.
Both teams arrived in Miami ahead of the big match. Norway suffered an accommodation disaster after checking into a hotel next to construction sites and a noisy road. Superstar forward Erling Haaland and the rest of the squad complained that their £150-a-night suite at the Dalmar Hotel in Fort Lauderdale was mouldy, dirty and smelled of smoke, and the entire team had to move to a new hotel.
Join the discussion
Should major sporting events be allowed to charge thousands of pounds for parking, especially in disabled parking areas?
Norway’s stars spat out their puppets after being put up in the $250-a-night Dalmar hotel
Around 30,000 fans are expected to support the stadium for England’s World Cup quarter-final match against Norway
Norway has issued a brazen criticism of Prince William after it was revealed that his counterpart, Crown Prince Haakon, will not attend the crucial match in Miami.
William has been keenly following the progress of the Three Lions from home and congratulated them after their epic 3-2 win against Mexico at the Azteca Stadium last Sunday, but so far he has not been able to attend any of the matches.
But Prince Haakon is coming to Miami, and eventually Norway’s best-selling newspaper VG published an online poll suggesting William wasn’t in Miami because he “couldn’t stand to see England lose” or was “jealous of Haaland’s popularity.” Crown Prince Haakon, 52, and William are close friends and also distantly related, as Queen Victoria is their shared great-great-great grandmother.
One of the players who will not take part in the match was 36-year-old England midfielder Jordan Henderson, who broke his wrist after tripping over a billboard during celebrations at the Azteca Stadium on Sunday.
He posted a photo of himself at the Kansas City Orthopedic Institute and wrote: ‘Surgery over! Now let’s get ready for the big event on Saturday.’
